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Easy air fryer tomatoes square
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5 from 1 vote

Air Fryer Tomatoes

Their flavor is highly concentrated with notes of smokiness, yet the texture is tender and juicy. The tomatoes shine so much on their own that they hardly need any seasoning. They’re as versatile as raw tomatoes - put them in salads or sandwiches or on pizza or crostini.
Cook Time1 hour
Course: Appetizer, Dinner, Side Dish
Cuisine: American, Italian
Author: Thomas

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ripe fresh tomatoes cherry, grape, San Marzano, Campari, Roma, on-the-vine, or heirloom, cut in half heightwise

Instructions

  • Their flavor is highly concentrated with notes of smokiness, yet the texture is tender and juicy. The tomatoes shine so much on their own that they hardly need any seasoning. They’re as versatile as raw tomatoes - put them in salads or sandwiches or on pizza or crostini.
  • 1 pound ripe fresh tomatoes (cherry, grape, San Marzano, Campari, Roma, on-the-vine, or heirloom), cut in half heightwise
  • Place cut tomatoes in the air fryer basket skin-side-down. This orientation is important to minimize the leakage of the tomato juices. Cook tomatoes at 240 F (115 C) for 45 minutes. Check on them every 10 minutes or so.
  • Continue to cook the tomatoes in 15-minute intervals until they are about half their original size (the shrinkage may mostly be in depth. Use the photos above as a guide.) Larger, juicier tomatoes will require more time. The heirloom tomatoes I tried required about 1 hour and 15 minutes in this stage.
  • At this point, you can either serve the tomatoes or air fry them at high temperature to get a smoky char. This depends on your preference.
  • To achieve the smoky char, cook the tomatoes in the air fryer at 390 F (200 C) for 5-6 minutes. Again, use the photos in the blog post as a guide for doneness. Be careful during this stage and check on the tomatoes every 1-2 minutes. They will char VERY quickly.
  • When removing the tomatoes from the air fryer, be careful not to rupture the tomatoes, as the juices contain a lot of flavor at this point. A spoon may be the best utensil to use to remove them.

Notes

Smaller tomatoes are recommended for shorter cooking times.
Though large heirloom tomatoes do offer very rich flavor.
Choose tomatoes on the riper end of the spectrum.
You can store roasted tomatoes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.